Begonia sikkimensis

Description Rhizomatous, erect, monoecious herb, 30 – 200 cm high. Rhizome: 10 – 15 mm wide, glabrous, internodes 1 – 3 cm apart. Stem: slightly woody, stout, ca 1 cm wide, glabrous, internodes 5 – 9 cm long. Stipules: lanceolate, 18 – 27 × 3 – 7 mm, glabrous, caduceus. Leaves: petiole 5 – 15 (– 20) cm long, glabrous; lamina ovate-orbicular to broadly ovate, basifixed, base shallowly cordate, 10 – 24 × 11 – 25 cm, slightly asymmetric, upper surface green, or green with darker margin, glabrous, underside green, sparsely puberulous hairs on veins to glabrous, venation palmate, midrib 8 – 21 cm long; margin deeply lobed about main veins with fine serrations, mostly glabrous; apex acuminate. Inflorescence: cymose, axillary, few; peduncle glabrous, branching 2 – 3 times, primary 10 – 20 cm, secondary 2 – 8 cm, tertiary 3 – 4 cm, with 2 – 6 female and 2 – 4 male flowers; bracts ovate to ovate-orbicular, 15 – 20 × 8 – 15 mm, margin entire, deciduous. Male flower: pedicel 10 – 22 mm long, glabrous; tepals 4; outer tepals ovate, 10 – 15 × 5 – 10 mm, pale pink to red, glabrous, entire; inner tepals ovate to oblong, 7 – 14 × 3 – 9 mm, pale pink, glabrous; androecium with 40 – 80 stamens, symmetric; filaments 1 – 2 mm long, unequal, fused at base; anther oblong elliptic, 1 – 1.5 mm long, dehiscing through slits longer than half the length of the anther, not hooded, connective extended. Female flower: pedicel 9 – 24 mm long, glabrous; bracteoles absent; tepals 5, equal, ovate, outer tepals 4 – 9 × 3 – 5 mm, pale pink to red, margin entire, inner tepals similar yet smaller; ovary 2 - locular, placentae bifid; capsule oblong-ellipsoid, 4 – 7 × 2 – 5 mm, with one long oblong wing and two short oblong wings; styles 2, deeply forked once and twisted once, deciduous. Fruit: recurved, 12 – 17 × 17 – 43 mm; capsule oblong-ellipsoid, 12 – 15 × 4 – 6 mm, glabrous; wings extending along the pedicel slightly, unequal; longest rounded oblong, 12 – 32 × 5 – 17 mm; shortest oblong, 1 – 5 × 7 – 11 mm.